Negit Island
Aerial photo of Negit Island. As of 2004, the land bridge shown in the photo has submerged. | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mono Lake, Mono County, California |
| Coordinates | 38°01′N 119°03′W / 38.017°N 119.050°W |
| Highest elevation | 6,522 ft (1987.9 m) 141 ft (43 m) above the 2004 lake level. |
| Administration | |
United States | |
Negit Island is an island in Mono Lake. Negit (along with nearby Paoha Island) is a volcanic cone less than 2000 years old. It can be considered to be the northernmost of the Mono Craters. Negit is composed of three dark dacite lava flows.
Negit is an important nesting ground for migratory birds, including the California gull, which can often be seen wheeling in the air above Mono Lake. The fall of the lake level since 1941 created a land bridge to the island, which first appeared in 1977. An attempt at blasting out the land bridge failed to be a long-term fix.[1] The land bridge permitted predators, especially coyotes, to raid the bird eggs and nests on the island. Surveys done from 1976 to 1978 reported that 38,000 California gulls nested on Negit Island annually; this number was reported to be greatly reduced in 1979. Officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power attributed the decline in the gull population to the gulls choosing other locations to nest, while environmental groups believed that even accounting for gulls nesting elsewhere, the overall gull population had decreased significantly.[2] After 1979, the gulls avoided Negit Island, after flooding of the land bridge due to rising lake levels, some gulls returned to the island in 1985, which may have been the result of the placement of decoys.[3] However, since 1994, the lake level has been permitted to rise and the land bridge is currently submerged.
Negit Island is accessible by boats (commonly kayaks). However, the island is off-limits from April 1 through August 1, to protect the nesting gulls.
See also
References
- ^ "Mono Lake Committe Says Gulls Face Crisis". Mono Herald and Bridgeport Chronicle-Union. November 23, 1978. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ Vining, Lee (June 10, 1979). "Fate of Mono Lake Gulls Remains in Doubt". Oakland Tribune.
- ^ Cheuvront, Rebecca; Higley, Rosanne (June 6, 1985). "Return of Gulls Sparks Furor Over Whether Negit Decoys Worked". Mono Herald and Bridgeport Chronicle-Union. Retrieved 20 June 2025.